So the older thread on Indoor Rowing got me into it and I decided to update on what I have now.

First, some history; I started with a Concept 2 rower (excellent display screen and app, uncomfortable seat). Liked it a lot but the noise and the way the resistance was never quite the same after a few rows bothered me, so I got a Water Rower. I loved the Water Rower for a time (comfortable seat, smooth rowing with water sound, but display screen and bluetooth module sucked). Well I put the Concept 2 (re-arranging basement so needed it out for a while) in a storage locker that got flooded out this last summer and destroyed everything in it. I got a nice insurance check for it and other items. I started to have hip issues on Water Rower. Not so much while rowing but after wards while walking. Apparently the foot pad position was just enough to take my hip out of line causing an old injury to be aggravated. So I sold it to my sister and brother in law, who both love it.

I decided to look at the newer rowers and tried several out. I am 60 years old, overweight (but losing it) with two banged up knees, a banged up shoulder and wrist (same arm), and of course the old hip injury that can be aggravated. I did martial arts for most of my life and some of my injuries are a result of that and being a cop. I am currently doing Wing Chun and Serrada Escrima (Filipino Martial Arts) with a private lesson in Aikido and Small-Circle Jujitsu (the instructor takes in account my banged up body) every other week. Tried BJJ but my beat up body could not take it, especially with asshats who think every roll is a Championship match.

So I tried out a couple different rowers and ended up going with Aviron Strong Series Rower. It is a combination magnetic and air rower so it has adjustable resistance which goes up to 100lbs. It has a huge monitor and display with different types of rowing trainig/races/competitions available.



I used the money from insurance and selling my Water Rower, along with December being a 3 paid day month to buy it ($300 off price in December). The big thing is it has width adjustable foot pads, so now my feet line up with my hip and no more hip pain. The seat sits high enough that my knees don't scream at me when I get on and off it. I got it on December 21st and have almost 50,000 meters rowed on it already.

I came up with my own workouts for it called 4x4 Low or High.

4x4 Low is:
1-4 minutes at level 4 (25lbs) resistance
4-8 minutes at level 8 (50lbs) resistance
8-12 minutes at level 12 (75lbs) resistance
12-16 minutes at level 16 (100lbs) resistance
Nice short workout when I have a time crunch.

4x4 High is the above plus:
16-20 minutes at level 16 (100lbs) resistance
20-24 minutes at level 12 (75lbs) resistance
24-28 minutes at level 8 (50lbs) resistance
28-32 minutes at level 4 (25lbs) resistance

I have done 4x4 Low 5 times and 4x4 High twice (crawled off rower in a puddle of gasping sweat).

Since starting rower again, I have dropped 15 pounds with 5 of that coming off in the last 10 days. Been sleeping better and feeling better.

Anyone else still rowing and what are you rowing on?

Congrats, not a rower here but have been on my older Schwin aero-dyne consistently for a couple of months now.
Definitely strengthening my legs and building better cardio. I know it is old school but is all I got
Doc say's don't worry so much about weight loss. Turning body mass from fat to muscle is most important and weight loss will come in time.

Keep it up.

Well, I should be buying a rower in a few weeks. I checked out lots of reviews on YouTube and the Concept2 seems to be the choice.......without breaking my bank anyway.

I was going to buy a new treadmill (last one crapped out), but like you I'm getting long in the tooth (turn 62 in February), recovering from cancer, knees are not what they used to be, etc.

Treadmill Review Guru rated the Concept2 as the best air rower. I live in my own house, so the "noise" won't be much of a concern for me.

I am 69 have a C2 I bought 8yrs ago after knee replacement, it has set most of the time....I just cant really get in to it with a left ankle replacement , both knees replaced and wore out elbows. I have been thinking about selling it and getting a good quality elliptical to replace it with. I know I need to do something besides eat and watch tv.

I got a used Concept 2 from my local CrossFit gym that closed it's doors due to a huge rent increase from the landlord. Paid $300 for it...needed a thorough cleaning of course but nice to get one of the units I used for many years before the pandemic and also help my friends out as the cleared out the space.

Concur on the hips issue...I've got to be aware of it when using an erg, despite being a rower in high school.

Once we get our office/gym/garage configured, I'd love to add a rower to it.
Until then, it's all Peloton for me. Coming up on 100 consecutive weeks, usually 2x/wk.

Timely thread. I'm considering a rower as well. As my knees continue to deteriorate, my running/jogging days are severely numbered. (My doc has already said I'll need at least one knee replacement by age 50.) Ellipticals just don't work with my stride. And while a stationary bike is an option, I dislike riding a bike. That seems to leave a rower as potentially the best option.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Timely thread. I'm considering a rower as well. As my knees continue to deteriorate, my running/jogging days are severely numbered. (My doc has already said I'll need at least one knee replacement by age 50.) Ellipticals just don't work with my stride. And while a stationary bike is an option, I dislike riding a bike. That seems to leave a rower as potentially the best option.

I'm there as well, wife and I are hoping to buy this week. My lower back has prevented me from running for about 18 months and it appears to be a chronic problem now.

I'm thinking I'll just deal with the noise and grab the bombproof Concept Rower.

Concept 2 at home and elliptical at the gym with my shitty ex Army knees


Rogue

"Ellipticals just don't work with my stride"


There is one at the gym that is just weird and I can't get in to it, it uses more arm pull. The others are great

The 80 y.o. neighbor lady across the hall got an Aviron commercial rower six months ago.

They delivered it and she got it up 14 steps by herself and it weighs 300 lbs.

She loves it always doting on it.

$2,100.00 or around that.

Has the tv and monthly "training" stuff.

Something about rowing 20 different waterways and competing with others

Low cost option…

ProForm rower from Costco. I paid $400, includes 1 year of iFit membership (which also offers biking, elliptical/treadmill, strength, stretching, yoga, meditation workouts).

You connect your iPad or Android tablet for virtual rowing all over the world. of course with Costco availability can be an issue and this model is not currently avail online.

While I’ve never used the high end $2000+ units, I can’t imagine them offering anything that would make the price difference worth it to me.

If you want an all in one that you don’t have to connect a tablet to, Costco.com has a ProForm model with 10” screen for $800.


While I loved the Peloton, and it helped me lose 100 lbs, I found the iFit membership and variety of equipment to have more value. I’ve invested $2900 in my home gym and that has given me the Rower ($400 with 1 year iFit), NordicTrack Bike ($1100 with 1 year iFit), Proform Elliptical (free with 3-year iFit prepay at $1400). Since they tagged each iFit on to my current account, I ended up with 5 years of pre-paid iFit membership.

With the membership roughly $400/yr (cheaper than Peloton) that alone is $2000, it is like getting all the equipment for about $900.


Annnd, BONUS - the display on my rower started flickering and acting wonky after about 6 months. Returned it to Costco for full refund and bought another one. Same model, but updated version and of course it also included the one year iFit, so I ended up with 6 years prepay making my equipment outlay closer to $500. Not that you can count on that, but one reason why I love Costco.

Boss how do you like the NordicTrak bike?

I have a ski machine we bought probably thirty hears ago. Still works great.

But using my old Schwin Aero-dyne these days. Need to re-incorp. some skiing though.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Boss how do you like the NordicTrak bike?

I have a ski machine we bought probably thirty hears ago. Still works great.

But using my old Schwin Aero-dyne these days. Need to re-incorp. some skiing though.

Love it!

I miss the 22” screen of the Peloton, my bike is only a 10” screen but the variety of virtual workouts more than makes up for it. Peloton was very “studio spin class” oriented with limited outdoor scenic rides that was just a music track and helmet cam view.

IFit offers thousands of outdoor rides (as well as other types of workouts) all over the world. You are riding with a trainer/coach and it is much more interactive. They have studio workouts too, but I prefer the scenic stuff and have ridden/rowed/walked virtually all over the world.

Also iFit doesn’t combine the ride and music track as Peloton does. You are free to choose the music genre that you want.

Finally, iFit automatically adjusts the resistance and incline/decline as the ride progresses. Of course you can manually override either at any time. The incline/decline tilts the front of the bike from +20 degree to -10 degrees and the position affects the pedal resistance. I was skeptical at first, but it does a good job of mimicking real world bike dynamics and experience.

Peloton doesn’t offer any incline/decline adjustment and just tells you what the resistance should be, then you turn the knob.

ok, that sounds pretty cool. Might have to look into it. Save up for one. So $1100 is what they cost?

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Timely thread. I'm considering a rower as well. As my knees continue to deteriorate, my running/jogging days are severely numbered. (My doc has already said I'll need at least one knee replacement by age 50.) Ellipticals just don't work with my stride. And while a stationary bike is an option, I dislike riding a bike. That seems to leave a rower as potentially the best option.

Just in case you don't know, some ellipticals have an adjustable stride. I stretch the stride out as I run faster and it more closely mimics real running. I do love my rower though and switch off every few days so I don't get too used to either machine.

quote:

Originally posted by jsbcody:
Anyone else still rowing and what are you rowing on?

Not "still," but, just starting as of a couple months ago.

Gym closed. Decided to build my own. Rower seemed the best cardio bet. Snagged a Concept2 model D, used, in essentially like new condition with very low mileage. Have been alternating between weight training and rowing, since.

Not doing a lot of distance (6k max) or time (30 min. max), yet, or HIIT.

quote:

Originally posted by kyoung:
I am 69 have a C2 I bought 8yrs ago after knee replacement, it has set most of the time....I just cant really get in to it with a left ankle replacement , both knees replaced and wore out elbows. I have been thinking about selling it and getting a good quality elliptical to replace it with.

I doubt you're going to find an elliptical much easier on those joints than a rower.

Main difference between the two would be your back, IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
The 80 y.o. neighbor lady across the hall got an Aviron commercial rower six months ago.

...

$2,100.00 or around that.

Too rich for my blood. I paid $800 for my C2. Brand new it would've been ±$1k with tax and shipping.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Low cost option…

ProForm rower from Costco. I paid $400, ...

...

While I’ve never used the high end $2000+ units, I can’t imagine them offering anything that would make the price difference worth it to me.

Not having tried the ProForm I've no way of knowing, but, my thinking was Concept2 has been in the business for a long while, there were probably good reasons it's usually the most highly-recommended rower, and probably good reasons most rowing teams use them.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
I’ve invested $2900 in my home gym and that has given me the Rower ($400 with 1 year iFit), NordicTrack Bike ($1100 with 1 year iFit), Proform Elliptical (free with 3-year iFit prepay at $1400).

All cardio? No strength/weights?

By the time I'm done I estimate I'll have about $4k into my home gym. That'll include (major bits):

• Olympic bar
  
• EZ Curl bar
  
• 210 lbs. of plates
  
• Selectable dumbbells (45 lbs ea.)
  
• Selectable kettle bell (40 lbs.)
  
• FID bench
  
• Back hyperextension bench
  
• Functional trainer
  
• Squat/half rack
  
• Rower
  

With that I'll be able to do pretty much everything I used to do at the gyms.

They say machines aren't optimum for gains.
Yes, they can help but free weights are the best.
They can definitely help and even and advantage on some circumstances.
But a total reliance on just machines is not optimum, note I said optimum and certainly they are not worthless.
I have no room for machines at home and looks like I will be going back to the gym soon.
Dumbbells alone isn't cutting it for me, especially on the legs.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
ok, that sounds pretty cool. Might have to look into it. Save up for one. So $1100 is what they cost?

Depends on model and where you get it.

Currently Costco.com has the one I got (S10i) for $1000, but now only comes with 30-day iFit instead of 1 year. Still less than half the price of the Peloton

ok, thank you Boss. I appreciate it.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Low cost option…

ProForm rower from Costco. I paid $400, includes 1 year of iFit membership (which also offers biking, elliptical/treadmill, strength, stretching, yoga, meditation workouts).

[b]You connect your iPad or Android tablet[/i] for virtual rowing all over the world. of course with Costco availability can be an issue and this model is not currently avail online.

I'd be curious if you could use the ProForm for the Peloton classes.
We're still enjoying the Pelo bike, and don't want to spend the $ for the Pelo rower.
If a cheaper model can connect to the Pelo app, for whatever metrics it records/needs, I'd go that route.
I'll eventually have a 42" TV in my office/gym & should be able to cast to that for the classes, or at least that's what my co-worker's wife does on the bike.